Frame for machine guns



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. C. TROTTER FRAME FOR MACHINE GUNS vFiled sept. 50. 1939 April 14, 1942.

FRAME FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Sept. 50, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheel 2 gwvmvbO/v .Jon-m C. TEOTTEl-a April 14, 1942.

J. C. TROTTER FRAME FOR MACHINE' GUNS Filed sept. s, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gmc/who@ Jol-1N C. TEDTTEZ Patenied Apr. id, i942 Haiti lifi-ics FRAM FR MACHINE GUNS .Holm C. Trotter, Budalo, VN. Y., assigner to Bell dix-craft Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 30, 1939, Serial No. 297356 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to machine guns. and more particularly has reference to a construction by which the vibration of the gun can be absorbed. While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention used in connection with a .36' calibre gun, it is to be understood that it is of broader application.

Heretofore, the recoil of machine guns in general has been compensated for by means of-spring dampeners, or hydraulic dampeners. the majority of the dampene'rs now in use are of such size as to necessitate a large and cumbersome frame whiclr` is of course not feasible in view of the cramped 'quarters in airplanes.

Furthermore, it has been the consensus o opinion that it is not necessary to absorb the vibration oi' a .3d caliber machine gun. li have found, however, that ii this vibration is absorbed, accuracy oi aim and ease oi ring are materially improved. in addition, it is possible to employ a low power telescopic sight for extremely aocurate iiring.

An object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages now inherent in the art.

Another object ,ci this invention is to provide a recoil assembly for a machine gun to be used in airplanes that is extremely light in weight, easy to manufacture and which is positive in action.

A iurtherobject of the present invention is to provide a cradle for a machine gun to be used in an airplane which will absorb the vibration of the gun during ring.

Yet another` object of this invention is to provide a recoil assembly for a machine gun which greatly improves the accuracy of aim and the ease of firing the gun.

To accomplish the above and other important objects, this invention in general comprises a lightweight cradle that is adapted to be attached to a suitable support within the airplane. The cradle is formed with slide tracks in which bioclrs connected to the iront and rear mounting lugs of the gun, move in a forward and rearward direction upon firing of the gun. a shock unit or dampening device is disposed beneath the rear portion of the gun and the piston rod of the unit is suitably associated with the rear mounting lug connector.

A unit such as covered in this application finds particular application `in regard to guns for use in airplanes since it greatly improves the accuracy of aim and in addition permits ease 'oi firing.

In the drawings in which like numerals designate the same or similar parts:

However,

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, showing my novel device for a machine gun.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure i is a fragmental elevational view, partly in section, of the gun handles and the dampener for the barrel of the' gun.

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the device shown in Figure l.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Figure l.

Figure 7 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating the manner in which the piston rod of the dampener is associated with the rear mounting lugs.

Figure 8 is a view talren along line d--ii of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a machine gun El supported by my novel cradle construction indicated i which in turn is mounted for universal movement within the plane on a yoke il. I'have shown a machine gun of ..30 caliber, although it is to be understood that other types ci aircraft machine guns can be employed. The gun l has a iiring trigger d which terminates adjacent operating handles ii.

As best shown in Figures l and 3, the cradle 2 comprises a pair of parallel-longitudinally extending tubes d and i. in view of the fact that the tube i is identical to tube il and has associated therewith members similar to those carried by the member 6, the same numerals will be applied to the tube l with the exception that they are primed. Attached to the forward end of the tube t by welding or the like is a slide track li formed with an elongated slot d. Mounted in each of the slots 9 and d are blocks lil and itl which are adapted to slide in the slots. The casing of the gun is attached to the blocks lli and i8' by a bolt ll which passes through an aperture (not shown) in the gun casing. Washers l2 are positioned on both sides of the tubes and l and spacers I3 are interposed between the gun casing and the Washers. Clearly by the above construction the forward end of the gun E is mounted for sliding movement in the cradle 2.

Referring to Figures 3, 7 and 8, it can be seen that the rearward ends of the tubes 6 and l also have welded thereto a slide `track l5 which is formed with an elongated slot it. A block il is mounted in the slot i6 for fore and aft movement, and bolt l@ is adapted to afdx the block to the rear section of the gun l. More specifically, it willwbe observed in Figure 7 that the bottom portion of the gun casing is provided with apertures 2i into which reduced portions of the bolts I8 and I8 are adapted to project. As was the case of the forward connection of the gun to the block I0, it can be seen that washers 22 are mounting member i9 by a bolt assembly 21. A

dampening device or shock unit 28 is disposed beneath the rear section of the gun i, and piston rod 29 of the unit is formed with an eyelet 30 at its free end. A bolt 3| extends through aligned apertures in the plates and 26 and through the -eyelet 30 for connecting the piston 29 with the Vbracket 24. In addition, spacers 32 are positioned on each side of the eyelet 35.

In Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that a brack-v et 35 is rigidly attached to the transverse tube 24. A tubular extension 36 is bolted at its outer end to the bracket 35 as shown at 3l and is keyed .at 38 to the shock unit 28. A second bracket 39 is hinged to the upper end of the bracket 35 by a bolt 40. A cup 4i is welded to the upper end of the bracket 38 for receiving the end of gun buer extension 42 attached to back plate 43 of the gun l. the bracket 39 has an extension 44 which is adapted to engage with a pin 45 carried by the tube 23 for holding the cup 4! in engagement with the extension 42 when the parts are in their closed position. By having the closure 4l so arranged that lt can be moved away from the buier extension 42 provides a construction which will permit the operator of the gun to haveeasy access to the rear section ofthe gun. A

The firing device 4 is supported by a, bracket welded to the tube l. A safety lock 5I is also provided. and rod 52 of the firing device is attached to a bell crank 53 pivoted in bracket 54 attached to the tube l. One arm of the bell crank 53 carries a roller 55 which is adapted to depress lever 55 of the firing mechanism when it is desired to fire the gun. j

Referring again to Figures 1 and 3, I have 'shown an `arm 50 which is secured to the gun casing by bolts Il and I5. Spacers 5| are positioned between the arm 50 and the tube 6. An ammunition box 52 is adapted to be bolted to the arm 56 as at 53.

In addition, a bracket 55 composed of plates 66 and 61 attached to the tubes 5 and 1, respectively, is provided. The upper ends of the arms of the yoke 3 are adapted to be attached to the bracket 55 for mounting the cradle 2 to the yoke 3. A series of apertures 58 are formed in the plates 55 and 5l so that the gun may be properly balanced. The lower end of the' yoke3 is formed with a spindle 59 so that the yoke can be mounted on a support within the plane for swiveling movement.

The operation of the device is believed to be readily apparent from the above description, but it may be briefly described as follows. When the gun is fired. the recoil thereof will drive it rear- In Figure 4, it will be observed that wardly in the slots 9 and i6, and the unit 23 will take up the shock which would normally be transmitted to the handles 5. Consequently, this device will permit greater accuracy and ease of firing and -will in addition not tire e operator of the gun by virtue of the shock unit hich will, as above stated, absorb the recoil.

It will be appreciated that I have provided a recoil dampener for a machine gun which is of very light construction and to which the gun can be attached in a minimum of time. In addition, this device is of simple construction and can be easily and cheaply manufactured. The weight of the cradle and its small dimensions will permit it to be of particularly advantage for use in aircraft and permits the gun to have excellent maneuverability.

While I have shown and described the pre-V Y parting from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

1. In a device for minimizing/'recoil in a machine gun for use in aircraft', a cradle, said cradle comprising Aa pair of longitudinally extending parallel tubes, operating handles for the machine gun integrally formedwvith the tubes,

slide tracks carried by the front and rear ends of the tubes, blocks slidable in the tracks, securing devices for attaching the front and rear sections o f the gun to. the blocks so that the gun may have a fore and aft movement in the cradle, a depending bracket secured to the rearv `firing will be absorbed. and a yoke for supporting the cradle for universal movement.

2. In a device for minimizing recoil in a machine gun for use in aircraft, av cradle, the cradle comprising parallel tubular members, a slide trackV carried by each tubular member near the forward and rearward ends of said members, a block slidably mounted in each slide track and secured to the gun whereby thegunfmay have fore and aft movement in the cr, dle, an extension supported by each tubu r member and extending rearwardly therefrom, a cross tube attached to said extensions, ope/rating handles secured to the cross tube and l shock dampening unit operatively connected to t e gun and to the cross tube for dampening the -recoil 'when the gun is in operation. I

3. In a device for minimizing recoil ina machine gun for use in air craft, a cradle, the cradle comprising parallel tubular members, a slide track carried by each tubular member near the 'forward and rearward ends of said members, a

block slidably mounted in each slide track and secured to the gun whereby the gun may have fore and aft movement inthe., cradle; an extension supported by each tubular member and extending rearwardly therefrom,a cross tube attached to [said extensions, operating handles seured to he cross tube, a shock damlpening unit operative y connected to the gun and to the aa'raeoi cross tube for dampening the recoil when the gun is in operation, and a yoke for supporting the cradle for uniform movement.

d. ln a device for minimizing recoil in a machine gun having a gun buffer extension, a cradle, said cradle comprising a pair of parallel tubes, means to mount the gun in the cradle, a pair of parallel extensions supported by the ends of said parallel tubes and extending rearwardly' therefrom, a cross member attached to the extensions, operating handles secured to said cross member and a' guard for the gun buer extension pivotally attached to the tube.

5. In a device for izing recoil in a machine gun having a gun buier extension, a cradle, said cradle comprising a pairV of parallel tubes, means to mount the gun'in the cradle, a pair of parallel extensions supported by the ends of said parallel tubes and extending rearwardly therefrom, a cross member attached to the extensions, operating handles secured to said cross member, a guard for the gun buier extension pivotally attached to the tube, and means to lock the guard in its operative or inoperative position.

6. In a device for minimizing recoil in a machine gun for use in aircraft, a cradle, said cradle comprising parallel frame members, operating handles for the machine gun supported by said frame members, slide tracks carried by the front and rear ends of each frame member, blocks slidable in each track, securing devices for attaching the front and rear sections of the machine gun to the blocks whereby the gun may havelforward and rearward movement in the cradle, a depending bracket secured to the rear section of the gun, and a. hydraulic shock unit positioned intermediate the frame members and located between the depending bracket and the operating handles, the piston rod of the unit being connected with the bracket and the cylinder being connected to the operating handles whereby vibration of the gun during ring will be absorbed.

7. In a device for minimizing recoil in a machine gun for use in aircraft, a cradle, said cradlecomprising a pair of longitudinally extending parallel tubes, -operating handles for the machine gun integrally formed with the tubes, slide tracks carried by the front and rear ends of the tubes, blocks slidable in the tracks, securing devices for attaching the front and rear sections of the gun to the blocksso that the gun may have a fore and aft movement in the cradle, a depending bracket secured to the rear' section of the gun, and a hydraulic shock unit ing handles whereby vibration of the gun during ilring will be absorbed.

JOHIN C. TRO'ITER. 

